Toe correction device



April 28, 1953 J. A. LA BILLE TOE CORRECTION DEVICE Filed Dec. 26, 1951 INVENTOR. josefi/uila Zi'ZZe Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOE CORRECTION DEVICE Joseph A. La Bille, Chicago, 111. Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,163

3 Claims. (01. 1 28-81) My invention relates to devices designed to be worn in the region of the toes for the separation thereof in order to correct overlapping and deforming tendencies, as illustrated in the patent to C. Hardesty, No. 1,129,670, issued February 23, 1915. One improvement in the present invention is the provision of a devic which is wholly in the region of the toes and designed in an oblique course to follow the usual direction thereof.

A further object is to provide a, correction device of the above character whose .partitions are of sufficient height to encase the toes and check tendencies thereof to spread or project laterally.

Another object is to provide a full space in the bottom of each toe compartment of the device for squarely seating the toe as it approaches or assumes the correct position.

A still further object is to equip the device with a tie medium designed to hold the device to the toes and prevent its creeping in a rearward direction.

An important object is to construct the novel device along lines of compactness and simplicity.

With the above objects in view, and any others which may suggest themselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device as worn on the foot;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device alone, and partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device with end portions broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the device as seen from the right-hand side of Fig. 1, with end portions broken away.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawing indicates the base of the device as a plate I!) which is preferably made of plastic material and has a taper from one side to the other. The plate is designed to be worn diagonally in a position under the toes and with its taper conforming to the arrangement and size of the toes. Thus, the larger end portion l5 of the plate is designed to lie under the great toe, while the smaller end portion It occupies a position under the smallest toe. Upright partitions are formed for the separation of the toes I and to define positions for the ones intermediate the great and smallest toes.

As indicated in Fig. 3, the base of the partitions 20 are rounded in fillet form 22 to combine flat seats for the toes with rounded sides for the comfort thereof; and the rear ends of the outer partitions are thickened as indicated at to reinforce them against lateral strains from the tendency of the great toe and smallest toe to converge.

/ A diagonal bar is built up from the rear portion of the device between the outer partitions, and the bar has the general direction of the plate ID to occur in the first joint of the intermediate toes and form a rest for the same.

While the bar 30 also forms an anchor for the device in relation to the group of intermediate toes, it is possible that the device may slip from the forward lunge of the foot during walking, and I have therefore provided a tie device to counteract this tendency. Such device is in the form of a lace having conventional tapes 36. The first three partitions from the larger end of the device are perforated with horizontal slots 40 for the passage of the lace 35. Thus, the first partition has the perforation 40 made at a high point, while the next two partitions have it made at low points, as indicated at 4|, then passed through the next partition near the bottom and arched in the next space, as indicated at 42, in order to receive the third toe. The lace is then passed through the third partition at a, low point and again arched as indicated at 43 to receive the fourth toe. From then on, the lace is passed through a horizontal perforation 45 made in the bar 30, whereby to issue at a low point from the same. When the foot is slid into the device from the rear, the lace 35 may be drawn to apply its loops closely, but not tightly-to the intermediate toes, the end portions of the lace then being grouped over the toes as shown at 41 in Fig. 1 and tied together into a bow knot 48.

It will be apparent from the above description that the novel correction device is a compact appliance whose ends are rounded to make it feasible to draw a stocking or sock over the device as worn without any part thereof projecting or interfering with the fitting of the shoe. Thus, the device may be worn during the day and while walking, at which time the toes will be kept apart and influenced to seat squarely on the plate l5. Or, the device may be worn only at night if its presence is not desirable during walking or other activity. In either case, the partitions 20 are of sufficient height to insure the retention of the intermediate toes in their compartments, so that they may not spread or project laterally out of the same; and the tie device 35 forms an anchoring band in relation to the toes which will prevent the device from creeping 3 rearwardly during forward movements of the foot. Finally, it will be noted that the correction device is essentially an article made in a single piece and reinforced by the thickened portions 25 in order to Withstand walking and other movements of the foot.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minor changes or refinements may be made therein without departing from its principle, and'I reserve the right totemploy all such changes and refinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A toe correction device comprising a base plate over which the toes are adapted to be placed, a set of partitions rising. from the base plate and designed to separate the intermediate toes from each other and the terminal toes all' the partitions except the one adjacent to the position-soft the smallest toe havingtransverse to the position of the smallest toe, and one portion of said lace passing through the bar perforation.

3. The structure of claim 2, and a bar mounted transversely on the plate between the rear portions of the partitions, said bar having a perforation inwardly of the partition which is adjacent to the position of the smallest toe, and one portion of said lace passing through the bar perforationythapartition adjacent to the position of the great toe having 'its'perforation at a high point, and the bar and other perforated partiti'ons having their perforations at relatively low points, whereby to facilitate the training of the lace 'over the toes between the partitions and to leave the partition adjacent to the position of the great toe at a high point.

' JOSEPH A. LA BILLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED ETATES PATENTS Numher Name Date L1,29,670 Hardesty Feb; 23;? 1915 1,867,679 Riehle et al July 19,1932

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date:

336,694 1 Italy Feb."20,-1936 

